The Monster Within
by smg fan
Summary: Set at the end of 'Flooded' and continues on from there. Buffy's sorting her feelings, Spike is dealing with the resurrection of his slayer, and the geek trio is attempting to take over Sunnydale. What happens when they are both hit by something that the


**A/N: This the first fic that I am posting here seeing as how this is a new account. The only thing that I really have to say is that I am already a few chapters ahead and am just getting them beta'd so updates wont be too far apart. Other then that…please review.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except my imagination, Buffy was created by Joss and Mutant Enemy, you all know the drill.

**Summery:** Set at the end of 'Flooded' and continues on from there. Buffy's sorting her feelings, Spike is dealing with the resurrection of his slayer, and the geek trio is attempting to take over Sunnydale. What happens when they are both hit by something that the trio came up with?

**Rating:** R (in general)

**Prologue**

She hugged herself tightly as she stood on the porch listening to the argument that was going on in the kitchen between Willow and Giles. Nothing was going right since she came back.

She looked down as a cigarette butt landed by her foot. She ground it underneath her boot immediately knowing who it belonged to. She looked up, blank expression still firmly intact. "Hello, Spike."

"You hear all that noise?" He looked pointedly to the kitchen and back at his slayer. He was happy that she was back, god was he happy. But it was tearing him up inside that she was so broken, and it was even worse that he couldn't do anything about it. He didn't think she'd let him even if he could. Yet how could that be true if she had so openly and freely talked to him about heaven and what she felt.

She nodded slowly. "Just enough to make me feel crappy." She gave him the tiniest bitter smile and then turned her head slightly to the side looking past him.

It was a strange feeling, being able to have a normal conversation with her 'mortal enemy'. Especially when she wasn't able to do that with the people that were close to her, they were treating her differently, like she was made out of crystal and would shatter if they said or did the wrong thing.

She realized, that the only reason that she could actually talk to Spike was because he was the only one who was treating her normal. Sometimes it scared her how much he seemed to know about her, even more then she did.

"You know watcher boy doesn't mean anything by it." He tilted his head to the side slightly and frowned. He stepped onto the first stair to see how she would react to him getting closer.

"I guess. Everyone ..." She paused as if contemplating if she wanted to say what she was thinking. "They all care. They all care so much; it ... makes it all harder."

When he saw that she wasn't doing anything to stop him he moved up another step.

"I'm not sure I followed you around that bend, luv."

There was a short pause before she spoke again.

"I don't know. I just, I feel like I'm spending all of my time trying to be okay, so they don't worry. It's exhausting. And then, I..." She clenched one of her hands in a tight fist, obviously bothered by the part of the sentence that she hadn't finished.

"And that makes 'em worry even more."

Spike walked the rest of the way up the porch steps and stood beside her, facing the same way as she was but still looking at her.

She gave him a look. Was he always that smart or had she failed to notice it before due to her ignorance? The way he finished her sentence made it seem as though he could read her mind. And she hadn't failed the notice the knowing tone he spoke it in. She had to admit it scared her, even if just a little, that they were so alike.

"You want me to take them out? Give me a hell of a headache, but I could probably thin the herd a little."

He smiled wide when he saw the little grin she gave him after a few minutes. For a second he had thought that she would threaten him or even glare at him for the mere suggestion. But she hadn't, and it made the world seem like a much less harsher place when she smiled like that, especially at him.

"Knew I could get a grin."

She looked into his eyes, how did he always manage to say and do the right things when it counted the most? It's like they were perfectly in sync with each other. He was nothing like Angel, he didn't brood, he was way more gorgeous, he could actually tell her that he loved her and he hadn't left Sunnydale after everything she'd said and done. She wouldn't tell anyone anytime soon, but she was glad he stayed.

**A/N: Liking it so far? Please tell me what you think!**


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